Member

I have a Samsung Note 9 that I use as my Model 3 key as well as have paired for media playback. I know BT connections are finicky, but I've had increasing issues with my Model 3, especially with the latest update and/or since I've had my Galaxy watch.

First off, the car will not unlock if my Note 9's screen is off and the device is locked. I'm standing right next to the car and it will not open until I turn on my Note 9 screen and (sometimes) unlock the device.

Once I'm inside the car, the Note 9 will randomly disconnect from BT and only through a combination of toggling BT off/on, re-scanning/connecting on my Note 9 and connecting (via BT screen in car) will it re-connect in the same driving session. If I leave it disconnected, about half the time it will reconnect like normal the next time I get in the car. The BT media/phone disconnects in car have no impact on my ability to drive and the car lock when I get out.

I've had my 3 for about 4 months, but the BT/phone key issues have gotten much worse in the last month. I've tried all the various tips for Android phone key use (making sure the Tesla app isn't put to sleep, granting all permissions). I do notice that the BT media/phone connection tends to be more stable if I don't have my Galaxy watch on.

I'm hoping someone else out there has a Note 9 and a Galaxy watch and can comment if they have any issues.

Top-Contributor

I don't have the Note 9 but I do have the Galaxy S8+ and Gear S3 watch. The only persistent issue I have is every time I charge my phone overnight I usually need to turn airplane mode on/off in the morning so the car will open. I always have my watch on and connected to the phone. I also had quite a bit of trouble getting the new calendar integration to work but after several factory resets on the phone it's now working perfectly.

As a suggestion have you tried to delete and re-install the Tesla app since you got the watch? I'd start there if you haven't. Also go into "Settings" "Apps" and allow the Tesla app to modify system settings. Not sure if that will help but I have that on and never need my screen on for access to the car.

New Member

I have a Note9 as well. The power saving and sleep modes are pretty aggressive. I noticed something similar to your issues so I moved the Tesla app into the unmonitored apps. You can do this by:
1) Going into Settings and then

2) Scroll down to Device Maintenance.

3)At the bottom left select Battery

4) Then scroll down to the bottom of this screen and select Unmonitored Apps

5) Scroll to the bottom of this screen and add the Tesla app.

The result is the Tesla app is pretty much always in my notification bar now. But doesn't seem to consume a bunch of battery.

Active Member

I don't have the Note 9 but I do have the Galaxy S8+ and Gear S3 watch. The only persistent issue I have is every time I charge my phone overnight I usually need to turn airplane mode on/off in the morning so the car will open. I always have my watch on and connected to the phone. I also had quite a bit of trouble getting the new calendar integration to work but after several factory resets on the phone it's now working perfectly.

As a suggestion have you tried to delete and re-install the Tesla app since you got the watch? I'd start there if you haven't. Also go into "Settings" "Apps" and allow the Tesla app to modify system settings. Not sure if that will help but I have that on and never need my screen on for access to the car.

I just switched over to the Google Pixel 3 and now everything works flawlessly!! It took a bit of time to get the watch to work Samsung Pay with the new phone (even after support told me it only works on Samsung phones) but now I've got that working as well.

The car has been 100% with the Pixel 3, all the time, every time, without fail! (Okay, it failed twice but I realized I had turned off the bluetooth so it really worked just as it should).

Anyone looking for a great phone that works perfectly look no further, plus I'm now using Google Fi and service is only $20/mo and $10/gig. Don't know if I'm allowed to mention the fact I have a referral code for a discount on Google Fi so I won't mention that....LOL......PM me if you have any questions........

Member

I'm still having issues with my Note 9/Model 3/Galaxy Watch after doing the above suggestions (reinstalling app, disabling app sleep & adjusting app permissions). The issues persist with both unlocking/opening the car, as well as with BT Media/call connectivity in-car. I noticed I have less in-car BT issues when I don't have my Galaxy Watch, and generally the in-car issues are solved by toggling BT off/on. Unlocking issues are usually solved with making sure the screen is on/phone unlocked, which leads me to think that the issue is with the BT radio shutting off/powering down when the device's screen is off or locked.

This is by far the most frustrating thing about the 3 compared to my prior S/X. I miss the fob, but I definitely don't want the "new" fob either.

Active Member

Interesting observations. Do you think the G watch has anything to do with the Model 3 unlocking? I have a Galaxy S8+ and the Gear S3 watch and I have had zero problems. My wife has the same model cell phone, but no watch. I haven't noticed any issues these past 10 months we have had the Model 3.

On the other hand, when I use my Ford Focus Electric with Android Auto, it disables my watch and I have to manually re-connect the watch to the cell phone after parking the car.

Active Member

It might be related to the firmware your carrier puts on your device. I have a Note 8 and Gear S3 and it works great. My sister has a S8+ and a Gear S2 and those also work for her (similar to @Unplugged). However, I have experienced problems like what you describe in the past. About 3 months ago, AT&T released an update for my phone and until the next update came out (about 6 weeks) it was terrible. Now there were updates for the Tesla during that time that seemed to make it a little better or worse, but I think most of the problem was the phone update (that time). There have been reports that some updates for the M3 do make the problem significantly better or worse, but I don't think I have experienced any of them. It is really challenging to troubleshoot these issues since Tesla is updating both the car and the app at the same time the carriers are updating the phones. So I would hold on and wait for an update rather than running out and buying different hardware. From reading what people say on the forums, it generally seems to get better and worse depending on the position of Mars, the inverse log of the Nasdaq Composite, and the area in square miles of your current voting district.

Member

My model 3 is in the service center for a front drive unit replacement. I have a brand new S75D loaner from Tesla/Enterprise, which has none of the BT issues I have with my 3 (in regards to in-car connectivity). My Note 9 connects almost instantly as soon as I get in the car, regardless if I have my Galaxy watch connected or not.